Ratchet and Clank: Warriors of Time
by misterhogtail
Summary: Alister's plan has succeeded and time has been reversed - but not without dire consequences. Three Lombaxes and a robot set out on their seperate missions to save the Universe, and in doing so discover the joined destiny that connects them all.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, everyone! Thanks for clicking the link, and welcome to my very first fanfic!**

**It's really late at night now, so I'll keep this introduction short.**

**Recently, I read the entire story of R&C: ACiT, and I must say that it captivated me more than any book I've read or movie I've watched. Soon after, I couldn't help but wonder something: what if Alister was on the right track? What if his mission to reverse time succeeded? The question stuck with me for several days. I began to throw ideas around in my mind. "What if" this? "What if" that? Before I knew it, I found myself sitting before my laptop, transferring my musings onto MS Word. And thus this story was born!**

**Also, please forgive me for any inconsistencies between my description of events as compared to the actual game. Some of those were intentional and inserted to create drama, while others were a result of me not actually owning the game and relying solely on the R&C wiki to tell me the details. :P**

**God I'm such a nerd.  
**

**

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****Chapter 1**

A low, ominous rumble filled the Orvus Chamber. Under the glass beneath his feet, Ratchet saw streams of cerulean blue flowing from from all directions and gathering under the platform, concentrating in volume and growing louder by the second.

"Ratchet!" shouted Clank. "The Clock is overloading! We have to disengage the time-reversal command NOW!"

Ratchet didn't need a second warning. He turned and ran towards the mechanism mounted at the platform's centre.

"No!" screamed Alister. "What are you doing?!"

The other Lombax ignored him, instead sprinting towards the device. He grabbed the mounted handle and pulled with all his might. The Scepter promptly snapped in half, sending him sprawling backwards.

_Darn_, he thought, as he looked at the broken handle in his hand. _This isn't good._

How right he was. With a thunderous bang, the energy welling up beneath the device saw sudden, violent release. An enormous pillar of blue exploded from beneath the surface, swallowing the mechanism in a pillar of electric blue light.

Destabilized by the energy surge, the platform began rocking fiercely, swaying from side to side like a leaf swept up in a vicious gale. A particularly powerful tremor knocked Ratchet off his feet. For a brief, terrifying moment, he felt himself sliding rapidly towards the edge. Grasping desperately around him, his hands gripped the side of the platform just as the rest of him flipped over, leaving him dangling precariously over the endless abyss.

With tremendous effort, the Lombax hauled himself back on to solid ground. The shock and the exertion of the earlier battle were taking its toll on his body. He was exhausted. But still he forced himself back onto his feet, and stumbled over to the pillar of energy.

He had to stop it, or the Universe was doomed.

Gritting his teeth, Ratchet forced his hands through the veil of energy. The rising energy was almost solid to the touch, and its texture reminded him of Gelatonium – red hot, burning Gelatonium that singed his exposed fur and ate away at his gloves.

He had just jammed his wrench onto the axle when a familiar battle cry rose over the din. He turned too late to see Alister's double-sided wrench flying full-speed towards his face. The weapon connected squarely with the side of his head, smashing his visor and crushing his ear against his helmet. The stunned Lombax staggered backwards, then collapsed completely.

"Ratchet!" shouted Clank. The small robot jumped out of his holster on Ratchet's back, but was swiftly met with a running kick that sent him skittering over the edge of the platform.

"CLANK!" shouted Ratchet in horror. He tried to get back up, but another devastating blow connected with the side of his helmet. His visor shattered completely, and the impact threw him into the ground once more. A third blow landed heavily on his stomach, and a fourth on his side with a sickening crack. A coppery taste came to his mouth.

Half-dazed, head throbbing and ear aching fiercely from his badly bleeding wound, Ratchet rolled over, wincing as he did so. Alister was towering over him, eyes narrowed and teeth exposed in a menacing snarl. He slammed one foot onto Ratchet's chest, causing the already injured Lombax to yelp in pain.

Ratchet tried to push the foot away and struggle free, but Alister only stepped down harder. Ratchet coughed. His chest ached horribly, and it was becoming hard to breathe.

Alister pressed the head of his wrench against Ratchet's throat. "Stop squirming, boy, or I can make things much more painful for you," he growled.

Out of the corner of eye, Ratchet watched the spectacle with increasing horror. The column of energy was starting to spin quickly. Soon it had become a raging vortex, spitting out crackling tendrils of lightning and fire as it gyrated.

"Please, Alister," he croaked. "Don't do this. There are other ways to rejoin the Lombaxes."

The white-furred Lombax said nothing, only laughed.

"What about the risks, Alister? What if you're wrong? Then not just the Lombaxes, but EVERYONE could perish!"

"Risks?" spat Alister. "Don't you dare tell me what risks I should or shouldn't take! You never knew the Lombax civilization, so it's easy for you talk about risks. But what about me? I let them down, and I'm going to bring them back! Damn the risks; if I succeed, our race will thrive once more! "

"Look around you, Alister! Take a good look! Does it look like you're succeeding?"

Alister raised his head. The kid had a point; the process did seem more chaotic than it needed to be. The vortex of energy had grown to horrific proportions. The chamber's windows shattered one by one, their glass shards flying dangerously close before being sucked into the hurricane. The metal arches supporting the chamber buckled and twisted, and some snapped in half entirely. The Orvus Chamber was tearing itself apart.

But that wasn't all. Within the vortex Alister thought he saw glimpses of the worlds and planets he had visited, blinking in and out of existence as they were shot in and out of the infernal spiral. A strangely disturbing chorus rose over the din. Was it screaming? He wasn't sure.

For a brief moment, cold, hard fear gripped his heart. What if something was terribly wrong? What if he was wrong? What if Kaden was wrong… from the very beginning?

_No._

Alister shook his head. It wasn't possible. Kaden couldn't be wrong. _He_ couldn't be wrong – not after so many years of dashed hopes and wild goose chases; of pain, and loneliness, and torturous guilt.

He surveyed the scene once more, taking in the destruction surrounding him. As he looked he could almost imagine an order in the chaos, a single unifying beat in the frenzied orchestra that strummed and thundered around him. Everything was perfect.

Ratchet looked at Alister, desperately hoping. The eyes of a lunatic stared back at him.

"You're wrong, boy. Nothing is wrong! I know this is exactly how it's supposed to be! And when I bring my world back I'll–"

Alister didn't manage to finish his sentence. A small white being came running up to him, and with all the strength he could muster in his diminutive mechanical body, hurled himself at the Lombax.

The impact knocked Alister off-balance for a split second. It was all the time Ratchet needed to kick him in the stomach, forcing the breath from his lungs. He followed it up with a quick sweep of his legs, knocking Alister's feet from beneath him. The Lombax landed heavily on his head with a solid thunk and remained still.

Slowly, painfully, Ratchet tried to get up, but his legs suddenly felt like jelly. A small metallic hand appeared before him. Ratchet grabbed it.

"Good you see you again, Clank," he said, smiling wearily. "But how–?"

Clank smiled in return. "Let's just say I received timely assistance from a rather unexpected source."

His smile promptly turned to a frown when he saw the extent of his friend's injuries.

"Ratchet, you're…"

"I'll be fine, Clank. I'll have it looked at when this whole mess is over. We have more important things to do now, don't we?"

"Indeed we do, I suppose."

Together, they ran over to the malfunctioning device. At least, they tried to, Ratchet limping as fast they could, while Clank tried his best to support his friend.

Summoning all of his strength, Ratchet forced his arms through the wall of energy and grabbed the handle of his wrench. It was at once blazing hot and chillingly cold. The ether pulsing through it began to shoot through his arms, sending jolts of pain across his body.

Steeling himself, Ratchet pulled with all his might. His exhausted arms cried out in protest, and his broken ribs caused him to tremble in agony. Blood trickled down his cheek from his crushed ear. Every cell in his body screamed for him to let go.

But he knew he could not. For at that point, the survival of the Universe and everyone in it depended solely on him.

***

As Ratchet struggled with the machine, Clank stood at his side, feeling somewhat frustrated. It was obvious that Ratchet was in tremendous pain. It was at times like these when Clank wished he was a little bit taller. Maybe then he could help…

_Bzzt._

Over the noise Clank heard a faint buzzing. His sensors detected an energy anomaly somewhere in the chamber. A tremendous amount of electricity was being charged, and not because of the machine.

The robot froze in fear for a moment. He remembered all too vividly the last time he heard that buzzing. Something horrible had happened to his best friend, the memory of which he knew would stay with him forever.

He turned, and his worst fears were confirmed. Alister was awake, his features twisted with fury and his body bent forward as if to pounce. In his hand the head of his wrench glowed an ominous blue. Clank tried to shout, to run forward and push Ratchet out of the way, but it was too late.

There was a loud crackle as Alister swung the wrench forward, flinging the plasma bolt free. It streaked and darted through the air, right towards the unwitting Ratchet.

The bolt smashed into Ratchet's chest like a sledgehammer, crushing in his armor where it struck. The impact alone shoved him back by several feet. After the blast came countless sparks of electricity that dashed through the Lombax's body, burning flesh and fur alike when they pierced the surface of his skin.

Ratchet's eyelids and ears dropped, and he shivered as if cold. He suddenly looked very, very tired. He coughed once, twice, then crashed heavily onto the hard floor and lay there, motionless and unbreathing. Clank could do nothing but watch in horror as his best friend, for the second time that day, died before his very eyes.

If the little robot had a heart, he knew it would have stopped right then and there.

Clank ran over to Ratchet's motionless form, willing him desperately to wake up. Alister strode menacingly over to him, brandishing his wrench like an executioner's axe.

Unwilling to believe the Lombax was dead, Clank performed a quick bioscan on his fallen friend. To his amazement, a small, dogged pulse still ran through the Lombax's veins. Ratchet was alive, but only just. And not for much longer.

Alister was approaching quickly. He walked against the light, so dark shadows shrouded his face and framed his glinting eyes. Unable to meet his murderous gaze, Clank turned away and prepared himself for the inevitable.

Just as all hope seemed lost, a single, inappropriately jovial voice entered his thoughts.

"Well, looks like gotten yourself into a bit of trouble, haven't you, Clank?"

Despite the extremely grim situation, and the imminent danger about to befall him and Ratchet, Clank smiled.

"I suppose I have, father."

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**And thus ends the first chapter! A big thanks to everybody for bothering to read this, and please drop a review if you have the time!**

**~misterhogtail  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews and faves, guys! This is gonna sound super cliched, but I really appreciate the support. :)**

**I've been having a lot of fun writing this story, which really surprises me. Normally my attention span for my creative pursuits is limited to at most three days of work. But not in this case! My enthusiasm is still at an all time high! In fact, just today I actually sat down and planned out the rest of my story. That's right: my first three chapters were written with zero plot consideration whatsoever. :P**

**Anyway, I'm gonna stop rambling now. Once more, thanks for reading, and please drop a review if you can!**

**EDIT: In case you guys didn't notice, I slightly altered the ending of this chapter to foreshadow a new plot point I only just planned out.  
**

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**Chapter 2**

The first thing Ratchet noticed was the pain. Excruciating and disorienting, it seemed to be coming from everywhere: his head, his chest, his legs, his arms… He tried to move, to simply open his mouth and cry out, but he could not. He didn't have the strength.

For what seemed like eternity he lay there, helpless but to suffer in silence. Then slowly, the pain began to ebb away, leaving nothing but emptiness.

Gradually, his senses returned to him. He realized he was floating. He could feel it. His entire body felt weightless as he soared upwards. A gentle breeze brushed against his face.

_Am I dead? _He thought. _Sure feels like it._

His eyelids fluttered open. He recognized the blurry form around him; he was still in the Chamber. Through the glass ceiling he saw the darkness of space, then the countless constellations and stars twinkling gently before him. It reminded him of the first time he'd taken his ship into space. Hours he had spent cooped up in that small cockpit, staring breathlessly in awe as he admired the sheer beauty of it all.

Little by little, his vision sharpened. A small white shape materialized before his eyes.

Clank?

His mind raced. If he was dead, and Clank was there by his side, then that could only mean…

_Oh god._

Ratchet felt a small tear roll down the side of his blackened and bloodied face.

"I'm so sorry, Clank," he whispered.

"Don't be, Ratchet," the robot replied, a pained expression in his eyes. "It's not your fault."

The Lombax felt his strength leaving him again. He sighed deeply, then took one last sorrowful glance at his friend as his vision faded to blackness.

***

"How is your friend, Clank?"

"Not well at all. His pulse is weakening even further."

Orvus blinked his giant turquoise eyes and floated closer to Ratchet's battered form. He came to a stop next to his son and frowned deeply. "I'll make sure he gets looked after as soon as possible."

"Thank you, father."

The curious-looking trio was levitating in mid-air high over the Orvus Chamber, surrounded on all sides by quiet, empty space. From their position, the thunder and blinding lights that filled the Chamber seemed a lifetime away. Clank took a worried glimpse at the chaos unfolding below them.

"However, father, I am worried that if we fail to stop Alister, it will be inconsequential if Ratchet survives this ordeal at all."

The Zoni sighed.

"I am afraid so, son. But it seems to me that it might be too late to do anything. The execution of the time-reversal command that Alister gave to the Great Clock is already it full swing, and has been for quite some time. Far too long to cut off, certainly. Short of destroying the entire Clock itself, there is no way to rapidly stop the process."

Clank's eyelids drooped, a sign of resignation. "Does that mean the Universe is going to be destroyed?"

"Eventually? Highly possible. But immediately? No. And with some luck, we may to be able to save it. Just not at the moment, of course."

Clank raised his head in surprise. Orvus chuckled. Clank couldn't help but think it was a rather inappropriate time to do so.

"Alister's actions will definitely have severe consequences towards the progression of time, of course. They will eventually destroy the Universe if left uncorrected. However, I should say it's still too early for us to give up hope just yet. I promise you, Clank, that I'll fully enlighten you and Ratchet on the nature of the situation when the two of you have fully recovered from your ordeal. But for now, we have to leave this area. I have a feeling that something bad is about to befall the Chamber, and I do not desire us to be near it when it does."

***

Alister raised his wrench high over his head. He was just about to deliver the killing blow when a sudden, unseen force pushed him backwards. Then, Ratchet and Clank, without moving a muscle between them, inexplicably shot vertically upwards. He swung his wrench, but missed. Within seconds the duo was high up in mid-air, far beyond reach of his swing.

He shouted insults at the two as they ascended far over his head. Ratchet, who he presumed was dead, naturally remained silent. Clank did not respond either, simply closing his eyes and bowing his head in silence. His gaze followed them as they floated out of the Chamber and out of view.

The realization came to him that he was all alone in the Chamber. That was good, actually. With Ratchet dead and Clank having retreated, no one was going to stop him now. At long last, his years of research and hard work were coming to fruition. His plan was proceeding perfectly; the chaos around him was evidence of that.

Alister found himself being drawn towards the vortex of energy that now engulfed the centre of the platform. He walked slowly towards it, step by hesitant step. It loomed before him, undoubtedly lethal, yet mysteriously beautiful. It was blindingly bright, and his eyes hurt as he looked at it.

But he did not look away. Thoroughly awestruck by the deadly spectacle, he walked even closer. He was soon standing right in front of it, too hypnotized to retreat or turn back. He raised his arm, feeling the burning caress of the rising energy as it flowed around his glove.

A grin tugged at the edges of his mouth. _Perfect_…

The next thing he knew, there was an explosion right in front of him. Debris zoomed right towards him, slashing at his unprotected face. A blinding flash of light hit his eyes before he could even blink. He stumbled backwards in shock. He tried to raise his arms to shield his face, but a powerful shockwave walloped him in squarely in the stomach, sending him sailing through the air.

The Lombax landed with a loud crunch on the platform several feet away. Too stunned to move or even think, he simply lay there gasping for air. He was disoriented, half-blinded and his ears rung with a vengeance. As he came back to his senses, a horrible reality began to sink in.

Ratchet had been right. Something was terribly wrong.

It took him a while to catch his breath. When he finally managed to, a chilling sight met his eyes.

The controlling device had blown up. As he forced himself to his knees, a sparkling shower of bronze and shattered crystal cascaded on and all around him. But far from stopping the hurricane, the device's destruction only seemed to make it worse. More and more streams of blue energy flowed in from everywhere; above him, below him and from behind him. Every single one fused with the main pillar, ballooning it to terrifying proportions.

Alister leapt to his feet, furiously blinking to drive the oppressive whiteness from the corners of his vision. He looked around him in horror, eyes unclouded by his delusions and finally seeing the unfolding chaos as it truly was. "It's not working!" he yelled, to no one in particular. "Why isn't it working?!"

And of course, no one answered.

The glass pane beneath Alister's feet started vibrating. He looked down. Cracks were forming within it, branching and splitting as they darted like lightning through the glass.

The panicking Lombax made a mad dash for a nearby metal beam. After a few mere steps, the ground beneath his feet gave way and he dived, arms flailing. His hands missed the beam and instead grabbed the razor-sharp edge of the broken glass, piercing his gloves and cutting him deeply. Blood flowed down his arms as he dangled off the ledge, feet touching nothing but air.

Fuelled by rivers of energy that came seemingly out of nowhere, the vortex was beginning to expand outward, and within moments had engulfed the entire inner rim of the platform. Yet still it traveled, soon coming within mere metres of Alister.

Whimpering in pain, the Lombax was suddenly aware of how pathetic he must have looked. Great General and most revered Leader of the Lombax Praetorian Guard? _Pah!_ He thought. There he was, swinging helplessly, and about to be swallowed and eaten like a wretched little…

He was never able to finish that thought. With a final crack, the glass pane he was hanging from gave way, sending him plummeting into the abyss. At that moment the energy vortex took a sudden lurch outwards, encasing the falling Lombax in a raging, pulsating waterfall of blue.

As millions of streams of energy collectively shot through his body, Alister opened his mouth to scream. But no sound came out as he did so, as his senses abandoned him and the world vanished before his very eyes.

***

Orvus floated around the circumference of the Chamber, observing the wreckage below him. After witnessing firsthand the chaos that had erupted within its confines, he couldn't help but find the scene strangely calm – almost forebodingly so. Apart from the gentle whoosh of solar winds that whistled through the broken windows, the area was completely quiet. The contrast truly was extreme.

Finally, after circling the scene several times, Orvus came to rest upon a surviving metal beam and let out a deep sigh. Things were, indeed, as bad as he had expected.

After leaving Ratchet and Clank to rest and recover in a separate room of the Great Clock, the Zoni leader had personally come down to survey the damage that would inevitably have been done. He had not bore high hopes for the condition of the Chamber upon his return. Even so, he couldn't help but feel deeply dismayed at its present state.

The formerly magnificent Orvus Chamber, whose construction he had so carefully planned and overseen years ago, had been reduced to ruins.

For starters, the Great Clock's main control mechanism, the device he considered his second greatest brainchild, seemed to have been completely atomized; nothing existed in its former place barring a blackened patch of metal. The platform it had rested on still floated, but was little more than a skeleton now that its glass panes had shattered and some of the supporting beams had twisted and snapped. In addition, the majestic dome roof that encased the Chamber was gone. None of its fiberglass plates remained intact, and most of the bronze arches that held them up had caved in. The numerous ornamental fixtures formerly on the walls were also gone, apparently dislodged by the vortex and swallowed by the gaping abyss far below.

Orvus floated down from his perch and landed lightly on the ruined platform. He sidestepped the chunks of rubble that littered the area, peeking around quickly. Then he closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment, scanning the area for any hint of organic matter. As expected, he detected nothing. Alister, whether he was alive or dead, was no longer physically with them. There was only one place he could have gone – the past.

A frown crossed the Zoni's face. The turn of events didn't really surprise him. He had somewhat expected the Lombax to succeed; the Clock's failsafe mechanisms did give him a reasonable chance of reversing time successfully. However, as with all actions that tampered with the natural flow of time, there were bound to be consequences. Very serious consequences. Alister had taken a gigantic loan from the bank of time, and now the Universe was bound by contract to pay – interest and all.

But no matter how much Orvus thought of the disaster Alister had engineered, he simply couldn't bring himself to blame him. After all, he did what he had done for a perfectly sound cause: he had done it for the sake of the people he loved.

Was it justified? Orvus was unsure. But was it understandable? Perfectly. Orvus, of all people, would know. After all, for Clank's sake, he, too, had violated the natural flow of time.

Technically, unlike the Lombax, his decision to do so had been completely spontaneous. He had seen the situation and acted solely on instinct alone. But that didn't change the gravity of his actions. The Zoni had stated before, with utter conviction, that time was a gift and never to be tampered with. But now, when he thought about it, he realized he wasn't so sure.

For a moment, Orvus considered going back to his proper time that very instant. A change in the continuum could be minimized by limiting its impact, and that would be done by going back before he interfered with anything else. Furthermore, now that he had already saved Clank, what was keeping him from doing so?

Everything, he realized.

He may have returned to save his son, but when the dust had settled, Orvus had found himself in a Universe desperately in need of help. Ratchet and Clank were brave and intelligent souls, but they were woefully inexperienced when it came to handling time. They could not possibly tackle the root of the problem by themselves. They would need a strong, knowledgeable leader to guide them through the mess. And that leader, he knew, could only be him. He was still needed at the time, and as long as he was needed, he would stay.

Forget the problems he had created, and the problems he inevitably would create. They were undoubtedly minor in comparison to the ones that would result if he left. When, and only when every other piece of the puzzle had been put into place would he fit in his own. But not now, when there were far more important matters for him to oversee.

Taking one last, sorrowful look at the ruins of his beloved Chamber, Orvus picked himself up and levitated away. There was no point in wasting time by mourning his loss. The Chamber could always be rebuilt, and furthermore, he had an entire Universe to save. And he didn't have long to do it, either.

A rescue operation on such a grand scale would require tremendous effort. Thankfully, he knew he had two extra pairs of hands to rely on this time.

A smile crossed Orvus's face. It was a long shot, but maybe with a bit of luck, things would work out okay after all.

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**And that's the end of the second chapter! In the next installment we move on to a different location, so stay tuned!  
**

**~misterhogtail**


	3. Chapter 3

**Whew, third chapter in a week! I'm on a roll!  
**

**...**

**Not much else to say here, so let's get on with the story!**

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Chapter 3

"It's not like him to be late, especially on a day like this."

"True, it is rather odd. He is supposed to make the decision today, isn't he?"

"Shouldn't we send someone to go check on him?"

The Court of Azimuth was at once filled with murmuring. After all, it was the annual meeting of the Lombax Praetorian Guard, the elite force of the entire Lombax race; the defenders of the weak, the upholders of the law, and the crusaders of righteousness. A Lombax could not possibly be admitted into, much less achieve a position of such power in, such a honoured and respected organization without first meeting its demanding criterion of physical strength, unwavering loyalty to the Lombax cause, and above all, discipline.

The latter quality in particular was highly stressed. It is common knowledge that a soldier, no matter how patriotic or talented, could never dream of greatness lest he embrace the ideal of discipline. Discipline to obey orders without question, discipline to stay alert and battle-ready even during times of peace, and of course discipline to ensure one's punctual attendance at all functions regardless of location or timing. It was thus rather a surprise to the many Lombaxes crammed in the Court of Azimuth that General Alister Azimuth, the only four-bolt magistrate in the Guard, its respected Leader, and thus logically the perfect embodiment of its ideals, should be late for a meeting of such significance.

The chattering and cries of "what going on here?" were rapidly approaching fever pitch. The Acting Commander of the Lombax Praetorian Guard stood up and motioned for silence.

"Attention, everyone! As we all know, General Azimuth would never forget about his duties as Commander of the Guard, nor would he allow a trivial matter to so greatly delay his arrival. It would not be unreasonable to assume that an important matter is currently occupying his attention, and that he might require assistance in its resolution. As Acting Commander, I would like to request that a member of the Guard volunteer to locate the General, assist him should assistance prove necessary, and subsequently rush him here so we all don't have to keep waiting any longer."

The Court immediately fell silent. While Alister Azimuth was greatly revered amongst the Lombax population, the respect he commanded wasn't a result of him handing out lollipops to children on street corners. He was known for his fierceness and temper, and woe betide anyone who angered him during one of his frequent foul moods.

Well, almost anyone.

No one got to their feet, but all eyes turned to face a single yellow-furred Lombax lounging in the back row and picking at his claws. He looked up, suddenly aware of the attention he was receiving. "What'd I do?" he asked innocently.

The Acting Commander of the Lombax Praetorian Guard cleared his throat. "Volunteers?" he repeated.

The Lombax clearly got the hint. He sighed loudly and got to his feet. He was rather short by Lombax standards, barely clearing 5 feet in height; quite handsome, but generally rather unremarkable to look at barring his piercing green eyes. But no one doubted that if there was one Lombax who could to speak with their revered Leader on even terms, it would be him.

"Alrighty, then," he said, rolling his eyes, "Since no else is going to put their hands up. While I personally don't envy the task of jostling Alister awake anymore than anyone else, I suppose that if someone's gonna do it and survive, it would be me. Therefore, I, Kaden, volunteer to locate the General, and subsequently have his furry butt here and ready to start the meeting within the next ten minutes."

For a short while longer, silence reigned once again. Then someone started clapping, and before long the sounds of applause were echoing off the Court of Azimuth's hallowed walls.

***

What everyone didn't know was that Alister Azimuth was already awake.

In fact, he had been awake for several hours. His awakening had been a very jarring sensation; physically, his body didn't move a muscle, but his consciousness felt as though it was being sucked out of his old body, tossed around, then slammed back into place. It didn't exactly hurt, but it was nonetheless extremely… _disturbing_.

As he lay there, panting, a single question came to his mind.

_Where am I?_

Slowly, he blinked open his eyes. The sight of the tan-coloured ceiling confirmed what he already knew. He was lying on his bed in his old room. He had returned to that room countless times over the course of his exile, mostly using it as a base during his return missions to Fastoon.

His apartment was located atop the highest structure in the planet, and thus afforded the best view of the city. Alister began to climb out of his bed, somewhat apprehensive at the sight that would meet his eyes when he looked out the window.

He remembered all too clearly the sight that had greeted the last three hundred and ninety three times he had done so.

The view before him would be unfailingly somber – an abandoned, crumbling sea of ruins where majestic structures once stood. In parts of the city the buildings remained surprisingly untouched, but it was scant consolation to Alister; they were every bit as abandoned and run down as the rest of the planet. He remembered all too clearly the overwhelming sense of desolation that had filled those ruins. Most times it would prove too much for him to bear, and he would collapse on the ground and remain there, emotionally drained, for hours on end.

The ruins had served as a cruel reminder to him. Not of the splendor of the city nor of its beauty, but of the grave mistake he had made that had ripped that beauty away. They brought back memories he wanted to desperately to forget. At yet he forced himself, over and over, to view the horrific sight, for with the guilt they brought came the determination for him to restore them.

But as he looked out the window this time, he immediately forgot all the pain and the bitterness he had accumulated over the years. A single tear rolled down his face. And for the first time in as long as he could remember, he smiled in genuine joy.

The landscape that sprawled out before him was beautiful, even more so than he remembered it.

The sun was just beginning to rise over the great Lombax city. Gone were the clouds of dust and acid left in the aftermath of the destruction; the sun was free to cast its majestic glow all across the land. The buildings and spires he remembered so vividly were magically back, reaching proudly for the heavens. Light rays cast by the dawn danced where there was stone and shone where there was metal, bathing the waking city with brilliant shades of orange and yellow. Far below him the once-deserted streets and alleyways buzzed with life as Lombaxes left their homes and took to the crowded pavements. Hoverships weaved and zigzagged through the busy airways, painting the air with stunning dashes of colour.

The city was at once filled with motion, and energy, and excitement. It was _alive_. Just by standing there, watching it, Alister couldn't help but feel like he was too.

Alister closed his eyes once more, taking in the sounds of Fastoon as it awoke from its slumber. His ears flicked upwards, trying to pick up the sounds around him. Each sound he heard jogged his distant memory, and it took him a while to recognize each of them.

Firstly, he heard a slow, lazy rumble. He recognized it as the sound of civilian ships being fired up as their owners prepared for their morning flight.

Next he heard the collective chatter of hundreds of joyful voices in a language he distinctly remembered as Lombax. He remembered clearly that sound – he used to hear it every morning as the young pups talked and laughed on their way to school.

Finally came a harder sound to place: a faint swish that repeated itself over and over. Suddenly he remembered what it was. It was the swish of thousands of curtains being drawn. Across of planet, thousands of Lombax families simultaneously let in the sunlight, embracing the promise of a brand new day.

Within the space of a few hours, Alister heard all the sounds he'd wished to hear for years. And to hear them again, after waiting for what had seemed like eternity, brought to him a happiness he had never felt before.

A sudden gust of wind blew past the apartment's window, flinging a handful of sand and dust into his face. He remembered how he had once hated that. But now, the prickly, stinging sensation felt better to him than anything else in the world. It was part of the planet he loved. It was part of the planet he was in now.

As he brushed the dirt from his cheeks, the Lombax broke into a grin, then laughed out loud.

Fastoon isn't a hospitable place, to say the least. It's dusty, hot, and desperately dry. But to Alister, looking out that window was like seeing heaven with his very own eyes.

***

"Alister? You there?"

Kaden knocked on the door again. No response. Frankly, his friend's silence was beginning to worry him. Had something really gone wrong?

He knocked again. Once again, there was silence.

"Hey, Alister! If you don't say something, I'm coming in!"

He opened the door. To his relief, the white-furred Lombax was indeed in the room. He was standing serenely by the window, bathed by the sunlight. His eyes were closed and head was tilted upwards to face the sky.

"Alister?"

Alister jumped up, apparently startled. When he turned and saw the other Lombax, his jaw practically dropped to the ground.

_Hmm. _Though Kaden. _He musn't have slept very well last night._

"C'mon, buddy. Snap out of it. The entire Guard is waiting for y-"

Now it was Kaden's turn to jump in surprise as Alister dashed over to him and enveloped him in a huge bear hug. A soft sobbing sound seemed to come from the Lombax. It took a while for the situation to fully sink in for Kaden: the most revered and respected (and somewhat feared) Leader of the Lombax Praetorian Guard was actually crying like a baby in his arms.

Caught completely off guard by his friend's uncharacteristic show of affection, Kaden froze, unsure of how to respond. Then he did the first thing that came to mind. Quietly humming his son's favourite lullaby, he gently patted the much taller Lombax on the back.

For a while they stood in place, Alister's body racking with sobs and Kaden feeling increasing embarrassed by the second.

"Alister, did something… happen?"

Finally Alister released Kaden from the hug, but his hands remained resting on the latter's shoulders. Indeed a long stream of tears was on his face – along with a huge, elated smile. Then he took a step back, scratching his head sheepishly.

"No, nothing happened. It's just… it's been far too long since I last saw you. Like this, I mean. Actually in front of me. In the flesh."

Kaden couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Alister sure was behaving weirdly. "Didn't you just come over to my place for dinner last night?"

Alister opened his mouth, apparently about to say something, but shut it just as quickly. "Well, it sure seemed like a long time ago for me."

The smile on his face suddenly broadened. He gave Kaden a friendly slap on the back that made the Lombax stumble. "But what are we hanging around here for?" he exclaimed happily. "I have this sudden urge to go for a spot of sightseeing around the ol' city! You certainly won't mind being my guide, would you?"

There was something curiously infectious about Alister's sudden geniality that made Kaden smile along with him. The change was a very pleasant surprise, he had to admit. He could hardly remember the last time his friend had been this carefree. Certainly not for many years.

"I suppose I _could_ apply for a few days of leave. But first, we really have to get going! The Guard's awaiting your final decision on the inventor's request, and I told them I'd have you there in ten minu-"

Alister abruptly cut him off. "Wait. The inventor? Request?"

Once again, Kaden raised an eyebrow. "Of course. Don't you remember? He came to us a couple of weeks back requesting our assistance to realize his ideas. Today's the final meeting to decide whether or not to grant him access to the technology he needs. You've been backing the plan to do so for weeks now."

Alister frowned and rubbed at his chin for a moment, as if trying to remember something tucked away deep in the back of his mind. Suddenly, his eyes widened. Another smile came to his lips, but it wasn't a smile of happiness. It was a smile of such nastiness, of such visible malice that Kaden couldn't help but to shudder.

Within seconds the white-furred Lombax had thrown on his armor, snapped on his gloves and hoverboots and was halfway out the door. Kaden had to jog to keep up with Alister as he practically flew down the stairwell.

Suddenly, halfway down, Alister stopped. He turned to Kaden. "Kaden," he asked. "I know I've consulted you on this matter many times before, but I just want to ask you one more time before I officially decide. What exactly do you think of this deal?"

"Honestly?"

"Honestly."

The Lombax shrugged. "Well then, if you insist. Firstly, let me say that I, like everyone else, find his plans pretty remarkable, and there will be definitely be benefits in realizing them. But there's just something about that guy that makes him seem awfully suspicious to me. I can't quite explain why, but I don't think we should trust him, especially not with our most important and deadly secrets. You, Alister, of all people should know that we mustn't let those fall into the wrong hands. Yes, the rewards are there, but I think some risks simply aren't worth taking."

Alister chuckled loudly, then strode down the stairs three at a time. How right Kaden was. Some risks simply weren't worth taking.

But not all. In fact, some risks were so very worth it. The one he had just taken not long ago in the Orvus Chamber, for instance.

"C'mon, Kaden, keep up!" he called over his shoulder. "You're right; I really don't want to be late for this meeting. After all, I certainly _have_ decisions to make."

* * *

**Yay, I finally introduced the final member of our Lombax trio! He'll be taking a much more central role in the coming installments, so keep an eye out for those.**

**Once again, thanks for reading, and please drop a review if you liked the story!  
**

**~misterhogtail**


	4. Chapter 4

**Welcome to chapter 4, everyone! Gee, I'll have to start naming the individual chapters sometime. Chapter 1, 2, 3... that's just so _bland_.**

**I realised I haven't written a disclaimer yet, so here it is: I own nothing. Ratchet and Clank are the property of Insomniac Games.**

**...**

**Do I need to write anything else? Don't think so, so go ahead and enjoy the story!**

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Chapter 4

"Gee, you guys sure are lucky I was nearby. If I hadn't been busy repairing that clogged piping down in Sector Five, I don't think Ratchet here would've made it. Y'know, if the only living things in this Clock are a bunch of Zoni and the occasional robot invader, then how the heck did that ol' toilet get choked up with such a nasty glob of-"

"Thank you sharing with us that interesting snippet of information, Mr. Plumber. However, may I suggest you focus a bit more your attention on keeping my friend alive?"

A hurt expression crossed the Plumber's face.

"C'mon, kid, no need to get snappy. I was just wondering, that's all."

Clank sighed. "I am sorry," he said apologetically. "It's just that Ratchet hasn't responded to any form of treatment in the last few hours, despite his condition having stabilized considerably. I can't help but feel rather worried."

"I know what you mean, kid. And that's why I'm gonna give that Lombax a dose of my super secret medicine mix! If that doesn't wake him up, I honestly don't know what will."

Whipping up a small weighing machine from his pocket, the Plumber separated out a small portion of the doughy green substance he had been mashing between his hands.

"Now this here goo I'm using came straight from the guts of a mature Anthropod specimen. Not very pleasant to look at, I admit, but its medicinal properties are positively unparalleled this side of the Universe."

With a careless flick of his wrist, he swept the remainder off the table, aiming for his open satchel. It missed and landed on the ground with a resounding plop, and began to emanate a faint green vapour.

Clank suddenly felt very glad that he didn't have a nose. The Plumber looked at the mess somewhat sheepishly.

"Whoops. That's gonna stain. Sorry bout that, Mr. Orvus."

A queasy look came across the Zoni's leader's features. "It's okay. Just make sure you get Ratchet healed up as soon as possible. Oh, and do remember to scoop it up later."

The Plumber plopped the small glob of goo into a bowl, then pulled a small syringe from the back pocket of his pants and deftly added a couple of drops. The mixture began to sizzle, then dissolved into a bubbling purple liquid.

"There we go! C'mon, help me get his mouth open."

"Father, are you sure about this?" Clank whispered to Orvus. "Ratchet and I have encountered this person previously in our journeys, and I can't say his standard of hygiene has left the best of impressions on us."

Orvus sighed. "Well, son, I admit you have a point there. But he has performed numerous errands for the Clock before, and I've heard his… _chemistry_ lectures enough times to at least get the sense that he knows what he's doing. Besides, at this point in time, his methods are literally decades ahead of everyone else's."

Clank sighed, then walked over to Ratchet's unconscious form. The Lombax was at least breathing steadily now, but nonetheless remained trapped in a deep coma. It was strange to see him simply lying there; the expression on his face so childlike, so calm. The sight of him reminded Clank of a peacefully snoozing infant, completely at ease with the turbulent world around him. It felt almost criminal to even try and awaken him.

Reaching forward, Clank gently pried Ratchet's jaw open. The Plumber promptly downed the entire bowl down the Lombax's throat. The robot winced as he watched the vile fluid empty from the bowl and into Ratchet's mouth.

The Plumber took a step back, dusting his palms. Green flecks fell from his fingers as he did so. "Well," he said matter-of-factly. "Nothing we can do now but wait. Don't thing we'll have to wait very long, cause that brew I just mixed up is strong stuff. Emphasis on the strong. I fed some to the family Sewerfrog once. Poor thing only hit the ground the next day."

Clank didn't exactly feel reassured by the Plumber's words. He held his breath (metaphorically of course), eyes fixed intently on Ratchet.

The Lombax remained still. To the little robot, every second that drawled past seemed like a full hour.

Then, after what seemed like an eternity, Ratchet coughed.

Clank's eyes literally lit up in relief. "Ratchet!" he exclaimed. "You're alright!"

Ratchet's eyelids slid open. Groggily, he hoisted himself into a sitting position and rubbed his eyes, squinting despite the darkness of the room.

"Clank?" he croaked. "Is that you? Where… am I? Am I dead?"

"No, Ratchet. I can assure you that you're very much alive right now. Thanks mostly to the efforts of our dear friend, the Plumber, over here."

"Told you it'd work!" shouted the Plumber triumphantly. "Like I always say, nothing like a quick nanomite infusion and a little Anthropod poop to bring ya back to the pink of health."

Orvus floated up beside him, smiling. "You did good, Mr. Plumber."

Ratchet's head was spinning from the sheer bizarreness of his situation. He had so many questions he wanted to ask. For starters, if he really was alive, then where was he? Also, wasn't that Clank's dad floating above him? Hadn't he seen the Zoni be destroyed by Nefarious with his very own eyes? Furthermore, what was the Plumber doing by his side? Why did that guy always keep popping up so mysteriously? And what was all this talk about him having saved his life?

And most importantly, what was that weird taste in his mouth?

Ratchet's eyes widened so quickly that Clank leapt back in shock.

Scratch that, Ratchet thought. The taste wasn't just weird – it was also utterly, indescribably, vomit-inducingly repulsive.

All the taste buds in Ratchet's mouth had reactivated at once – and now each and every single one was screaming in sheer, total agony.

"Ratchet, are you alright?"

The Lombax promptly responded by leaning over the side of his bed and throwing up violently. Orvus winced, and Clank shot an accusing glance at the Plumber, who simply shrugged.

"Hey, what can I say? It is _strong_ stuff."

***

Several hours later, Ratchet found himself in another small darkened room, sitting in a large bean bag, huddled under a blanket and shivering slightly. His head and chest still ached with a vengeance, and he had lost count of the number of times the Plumber's uniquely flavoured medicine had made him throw up. Clank walked over to his side and sat down, visibly concerned.

"Ratchet, are you feeling any better?"

"Well, my head still hurts, and that taste still hasn't quite left my mouth. But considering the fact that I basically came back from the dead, I suppose I'm doing really well."

Clank chuckled weakly. "I'm sure you are. And try not to think about the taste too much. Before he left, the Plumber did mention that it's going to stay for about a week."

Ratchet wrinkled his nose in disgust. "It's going to be a long week. Still, I don't suppose I should complain too much. He did bring me back in one piece, after all."

For just a moment, Clank's gaze shifted to Ratchet's left ear, but he averted his gaze as quickly as he could. But not quickly enough, apparently, to prevent the Lombax from noticing. Ratchet raised a hand and gingerly fingered his ear, running his fingers along the unnatural bend in the bone.

The impact of Alister's wrench had done too much damage to his ear's bone structure for the nanomites too fully repair. Ratchet knew that his misshapen ear would stay with him for the rest of his life, a battle scar sustained from his most recent ordeal.

The ordeal that had almost killed him.

Ratchet looked over at Clank. The robot suddenly looked particularly downcast; it seemed the sight of Ratchet's broken ear had affected him deeply.

"C'mon, Clank," Ratchet joked, as cheerfully as he could. "It's not so bad. At least the ladies will have something to remember me by."

Clank chuckled feebly at the weak joke, but his sloping eyelids told Ratchet that he was still as sad as before. Ratchet sighed. It would be difficult to cheer his friend up. Clank didn't usually get moody, but when he did, it tended to last.

Trying instead to change the subject, Ratchet asked, "What are we doing waiting around here, anyway? If the Universe really is in danger, then we should be out setting things right the way we usually do. You know, by kicking some major butt."

Clank chuckled again. This time, Ratchet could tell it was genuine and smiled along. "Well, Ratchet, although our previous problems have been solved primarily via the method you just mentioned, I think this particular one requires a clearer knowledge of the situation. That's why my father has volunteered to give us a brief lecture so that we can learn how to fix the problem in a more appropriate fashion."

"Makes sense, though I never really liked lessons. I hope Orvus is a better teacher than the ones I got back at Veldin. Speaking of which, Clank, I've been meaning to ask you about your dad. I distinctly remember seeing him disappearing in the midst of getting tortured by Dr. Nefarious. After that he seemingly vanishes from the face of the Universe, never seen and never heard from by anyone. Then now, all of a sudden, he appears out of blue with _no_ warning whatsoever and just in time to save us from certain death. Doesn't that seem a little odd to you?"

Clank frowned. "I never really asked him about that. I suppose he simply decided to go on an extended rest period. The torture must have been extremely traumatic, after all."

"But for two whole years? And without telling anyone? I dunno, Clank. It just doesn't quite add up for me."

"I'm sure he had his reasons."

Clank was trying to seem confident in his answer, but there was a doubt in his funny mechanical voice that matched Ratchet's own.

Ratchet would have said more, but at that moment Orvus strode into the room. Sigmund floated in behind him, happily chattering away.

"…and in case you didn't notice, sir, I did up the décor in Sector Three a little in your absence; a couple of potted plants here and there really help the colour scheme, don't they? I also repainted the hovering platforms, but pity they got smashed by that infernal Scrambler-thingy. Have I told you I'm sorry I didn't stop Dr. Nefarious? Oh yeah, I have, but I promise I'll do better next tim-"

"Thank you, Sigmund. You can tell me the full story later. For now, I have a few affairs to attend to."

Sigmund instantly quieted down, heading back towards the doorway. As he passed Clank, he gleefully whispered, "I'm just so glad he's back!"

Clank nodded and smiled. "I am too."

Orvus cleared his throat. Sigmund's cheeks glowed a faint shade of red, and the robot promptly left the room. Ratchet and Clank both turned to the Zoni.

Knowing he had the duo's attention, Orvus began. "Hello, my dear students!" he exclaimed, motioning with his arms for added effect. "I hereby welcome the both of you to Time 101!"

"He does have a flair for the dramatic, doesn't he?" whispered Ratchet.

"That he does," Clank replied.

***

The Plumber hauled himself over the side of his spaceship, landing in the pilot's seat with an audible thud. Feeling its owner's considerable weight, the vehicle swayed and creaked in protest.

The Plumber paid no heed to the sounds. Instead he reached into his utility belt, unclipped a small pair of glasses and propped them on the tip of his nose. Then he raised a curious eyebrow as inspected the small metal object he held in his hands.

The object in particular happened to be the latest oddity that Orvus had given to him as payment for his services. The Zoni was a frequent and perfectly likeable employer, but he did have a peculiar habit of giving out the strangest things as payment. And in the long list of unusual things he had received from Orvus, this new one certainly took the cake.

The 3 ¾ Centicubit Hexagonal Washer he held in his hand was certainly not an item he'd expected Orvus to have in his possession. Such pieces of machinery were not easy to find, especially one in such good condition.

There'd been a familiar glint in the Orvus's turquoise eyes when he'd handed him the Washer. "What am I supposed to do with this?" the Plumber remembered asking.

"Well, you can always use it repair pipes," Orvus had replied. "If not, I'm sure you can think of something. It's always good to have a 3 ¾ Centicubit Hexagonal Washer with you. You know, just in case."

The Zoni had chuckled his funny little chuckle after saying that. He always did that after giving the Plumber his payment. The Plumber had simply raised an eyebrow, but said nothing more. He couldn't help but feel like that humble Washer was destined for far greater things than repairing damaged piping.

So now the Plumber was sitting in the tiny cockpit of his spaceship, turning the 3 ¾ Centicubit Hexagonal Washer over and over in his hands. He thought about Orvus's odd behavior for a while more, then shrugged. Payment was payment, and certainly it won't do for him to kick up a fuss over what his employer decided he should receive. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to keep the Washer with him. After all, he could always just use it to fix pipes, or perhaps pass it on to someone else who had more use for it in the future.

Tossing the device onto the empty seat beside him, the Plumber grabbed the ship's controls and fired up its thrusters. They coughed and spluttered for a while before roaring to life, shooting the ship and its occupants away from the Great Clock and into the space beyond.

* * *

**And that's a wrap of Chapter 4! As usual, all reviews and criticisms (anonymous ones included) are welcome!**

**~misterhogtail**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry I took so long to upload this chapter! Believe me, I have a perfectly good excuse for that. You see, I'd actually written the whole thing out at first, but when I read the ending, I realised it was, well, trash. So what do I do? I delete the entire third portion of the Chapter and rewrite it! Then I realise the chapter has somehow swelled to 3.7 thousand words, so I Ctrl-X Ctrl-V the final section into a new document and make it Chapter 6! Well, at least this is nowhere as bad as the time I COMPLETELY rewrote Chapter 1. Yep, the Chapter 1 you read in this fanfic is actually more like Chapter 1 v2. I still have the original Chapter 1 saved in my com, but I'll probably never show to anyone cause it's really BAD.**

**I suppose I've rambled enough. On with the Chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 5

A roar of disbelief erupted from the Court of Azimuth. Its instigator stood unflinching at his podium, taking in the sound without the slightest hint of frustration.

He had expected this response after all. He remembered not being the only Lombax swayed by Tachyon's grand designs, despite admittedly being the one who had the final say in the matter. No matter how you looked at it, the Polaris Galaxy was in need of some extra protection, and there were many besides himself who recognized that fact. His sudden change of heart was bound to draw criticism.

But all saviors were destined to be ridiculed by the very people they wanted to save. Alister knew that, and had mentally prepared himself for the scorn he was bound to receive. _They_ _may laugh at me now_, he thought, _but not when they realize what I've done for them._

"You're crazy, Alister!" someone shouted. "Have you forgotten how persistently you've been backing this plan for the past few weeks?"

"You've been arguing for it every day, listing down all its benefits and trying to convince us at every opportunity you had! And now that we're just beginning to accept your arguments, you go ahead and change your mind entirely! Is this your idea of a joke?"

Alister listened to the criticism, but remained calm. When the shouting had died down, he spoke.

"Thank you, everyone, for voicing your concerns over my sudden decision. I admit that it may seem awfully strange for me to change my mind at such short notice, but believe me when I say I've been thinking of doing so for an extremely long time. After a long period of consideration, I have gained what one might call a fresh perspective on the matter. I have come to realize that the risk we take in trusting this inventor is far too great, and I can safely say that it is not in the Lombax race's best interests to give him the technology he requests."

An elder councilmember seated in the front row got to his feet, throwing an accusing glance at Alister. "In case you don't remember, you've been practically acting like this inventor's personal advertising billboard for weeks. You've practically been worshipping him as a genius! What is it that made you change your mind so suddenly?"

Alister smiled knowingly. "Well, for starters, I would like to thank my dear friend Kaden for pointing out the errors in my logic. It is because of him that I can see the, well, stupidity in giving our most precious secrets away so recklessly."

Taking a cursory glance over the audience, Alister spotted his friend sitting in the back row picking at his claws. He smiled and nodded, gesturing to Kaden to stand up and accept the applause he expected the Lombax to receive.

Kaden didn't get up. Instead he raised his head and stared at Alister, piercing green eyes glinting with suspicion. Alister frowned. He certainly hadn't expected that reaction from Kaden. Shouldn't he be happy that he was finally agreeing with him?

No one was clapping, either. The murmuring in the Court had descended into complete silence. Two hundred pairs of eyes fixated on Alister as they awaited further explanation. The General's thinking process was somewhat akin to a speeding train; once he set his mind in a certain direction, it was next to impossible to make him change it. Incidents where he changed his mind so suddenly and so drastically were virtually unheard of, and many felt, at the very least, utterly perplexed.

The stares didn't make Alister flinch at the least. Clearing his throat, he continued.

"In the past few days, I've been doing a little bit of research into this inventor. Checking up on his past, his contacts, where he lives, what he does for a living. My findings may startle you a little. The name of this inventor, despite him not being very forthcoming about it, is Percival Tachyon."

The entire Court gave out a collective gasp. That was name everyone clearly recognized. The sides of Alister's mouth curled up slightly, in a smirk so inconspicuous that only a single orange-furred Lombax seated in the back row noticed.

"That's right, everyone!" he exclaimed. "The inventor that came to us is, in fact, the Cragmite we so kindly spared from execution, and even went on to raise and care for like one of our own!"

"But why would he be so reluctant to reveal his identity to the very race that he owes his life to? That's because he is plotting to destroy us – conspiring to use our most valued secrets to engineer our downfall!"

The Court descended into chaos, a chorus of yells and shouts of anger echoing off its walls. "It's impossible!" someone bellowed. "No one could possibly be so cruel!"

Alister tried to keep a straight face – not an easy feat considering the smugness welling up inside him. He was the only Lombax in existence who knew of Tachyon's dastardly plans, and it felt surprisingly satisfying to hold that title.

"You may not believe me now," he continued, "but I can prove it to you! Follow me to Reepor, where I know Tachyon is amassing an army at this very moment! We will perform a pre-emptive strike on his base and wipe the Cragmite scourge from the Polaris galaxy once and for all!"

The Lombax general's voice was so filled with conviction, with passion that no one in the audience doubted him for a second. There was a momentary silence as his words set in.

_Will they believe me?_ worried Alister.

His question was soon answered. For the second time that day, the Court of Azimuth was filled the sound of thunderous applause. One by one, all the Lombaxes in the Court got on their feet, huge smiles on their faces and shouts of encouragement on their lips.

Their reaction was so sudden and dramatic that even Alister was stunned. Then he composed himself and smiled broadly, pumping his fists in the air as he basked triumphantly in the Lombaxes' adulation. He'd almost forgotten what it was like to be loved. It felt _good_.

He had succeeded. No longer was he the shame of the Lombaxes. He was their savior. He was their protector.

He was their hero.

_Where's Kaden?_ Alister suddenly thought. If anything, his best friend deserved the attention even more than he. After all, if it wasn't for Kaden, he'd never have found the Great Clock and never had the chance to right his wrongs. Not that he would tell anyone that, of course.

Alister quickly scanned the rows of Lombaxes, looking out for that familiar tuft of orange fur. Kaden was nowhere in sight.

***

Kaden quietly slipped out of the Court of Azimuth. He knew the meeting was technically still in progress, but he suspected that nothing else of note was going to be discussed after Alister's recent announcement. Besides, he needed the space to think.

He'd already made some considerable distance from the Court when the applause started. No surprise, really. Alister was an excellent speaker and had a way of rallying his subjects, especially when a battle was to be fought and enemies were to be vanquished. It was a skill that had served him well in the closing years of the Great War.

Doubtless the other Lombaxes would be willing to follow him in the battle against Tachyon. Kaden knew that he would go too; he enjoyed a little wrench warfare every bit as much as anyone else. Normally he would be enthusiastic about helping Alister in his endeavors, mentally drawing up battle plans from the get go. But this time was different.

His friend had been speaking and acting strangely. Very strangely. Kaden was somewhat surprised that no other Lombax had seemed even remotely bothered by that fact.

Then again, maybe they simply didn't have the benefit of knowing the full extent of Alister's conviction. All they would have seen were his impassioned speeches on the inventor's unquestioned genius; the occasional ten minutes he spent at each city meeting discussing the merits of realizing the Cragmite's dreams. But Kaden, as his best friend, knew more.

A certain glint came to Alister's eye when he fully set his mind on something. It was a glint Kaden had seen many times in their childhood. It was simply unmistakable. That very same glint had appeared in his friend's eye when the inventor first presented his ideas before the Lombax Praetorian Guard.

There were also other signals that Kaden had picked up in their many years of close friendship – that certain edge that came to Alister's voice, or maybe the slight twitch in his right ear when he announced his plans. All three had been there, and that could only mean one thing. This wasn't a mere passing fancy. It was a full-on conviction. Nothing was going to change Alister Azimuth's mind.

For weeks, they had persisted in full force. And now, within the space of a mere few hours, they had vanished completely. And to top it off, Alister was acting like nothing had happened. No frustration, no regret over the end of his well-laid out plans, nothing.

Kaden shook his head. It just didn't add up. Alister didn't change his mind so easily, especially not when it was already so firmly set. He had a habit of ignoring the most glaring warning signs and taking the most insane risks once that trio of signals came on all at once. Granting that inventor access to the secret Lombax technology was an immense risk, and Kaden had lost count of how many times he'd tried in vain to make Alister realize that fact.

But Alister had explicitly said that Kaden's warnings were what made him reconsider. What if he was telling the truth?

_No_, realized Kaden. That wasn't possible.

If there was one thing Alister couldn't possibly do to Kaden, it was to lie. They had been friends for so many years that they could practically read each other like a book. His friend couldn't have been swayed overnight simply by the power of Kaden's words. Something far greater must have happened to convince him.

Alister had mentioned with utter conviction that Tachyon was building an army on Reepor. Kaden frowned. While he didn't doubt his friend's sources, he couldn't help but wonder how he'd gathered them. Far as he knew, Alister hadn't been doing any research on the inventor at all.

Something was definitely up. Of all people, Kaden didn't want to be the only Lombax who was suspicious of Alister, but he realized he couldn't help it. His mind returned to the conversation they'd had in the morning. "Long time", his friend had said. Then all that hugging and crying… that simply wasn't something Alister did. It was like he hadn't seen Kaden for years.

A thought came to Kaden's mind. _What if…_

He brushed it aside. It was just a silly thought, after all. Time travel didn't exist. It was logically impossible; the stuff of dreamers and silly science-fiction stories.

Or was it?

"Hey, Kaden!"

Kaden turned, the sudden mention of his name having startled him from his thoughts. Alister was zooming over towards him, hoverboots glowing with a faint blue flame.

"Why'd you leave the Court so early? Is something wrong?"

Kaden shook his head. "Nah, I'm fine. Just needed a little fresh air. So, you fixed a date for the battle?"

"We're flying off tomorrow afternoon, which should be all the time we need to gather our weapons and ground troops together. Which, I might add, is also enough time for you to give me the tour of the city you promised earlier! You do remember, don't you?"

The same easy, friendly enthusiasm that had appeared on Alister's face back in the apartment appeared again. And just like back in the apartment, Kaden couldn't help but break into a amused grin.

Something big had happened to Alister, but maybe it wasn't all that bad. After all, he was actually listening to another Lombax's advice, instead of being all stubborn and unreceptive like he usually was.

And more importantly, thought Kaden happily, it had actually made that old sourpuss look happy for once.

* * *

**And that's a wrap! Y'know, I actually had a completely different chapter written out as Chapter 5. Basically, it's a complete transcript of Orvus's lecture in the Great Clock. I planned to upload it so you guys could sorta understand my explanation for all the wierd stuff that's gonna happen. Then I realised it was filled with lousy analogies and blatant paradoxes, so I scrapped it and made Chapter 6 (this one) into Chapter 5!**

**Gee, I suck at planning out this sorta thing. :P**

**~misterhogtail**


	6. Chapter 6

**Aaaand Chapter 6 is up! Thanks for all the reviews, everyone! I really appreciate the effort you guys take in writing them up, and they really give me an idea of what I can improve on. So once again, thanks!**

**Short chapter this time, cause this is actually the third part of chapter 5 which turned out so long that I made it a chapter on its own. Hmm. I should plan better next time...  
**

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Chapter 6

Thankfully for Alister, Kaden hadn't gone far by the time he'd managed to push his way out of the Court. The orange-furred Lombax was pacing back and forth, something he did whenever he was thinking. Alister caught up with the Lombax in a matter of seconds, and promptly reminded him of the tour of the city he'd promised him several hours earlier.

Kaden's responding look at Alister had been oddly suspicious, seemingly searching the suddenly uncomfortable Lombax for answers. A worrying thought suddenly came to his mind. Kaden was an extremely intelligent Lombax, and Alister had not exactly been very discreet about his recent journey through time. What if his friend had connected the dots? What if he had realized what was going on?

Alister smiled as earnestly as he could, hoping that Kaden would not pursue the matter.

To his immense relief, it worked. His friend's frown rapidly dissolved into a smile, and his reply was characteristically enthusiastic. "Well, sure," he said. "I'll take you on the tour! Not sure why you'd want to go, though. It's not like Fastoon has changed overnight or anything."

Alister chuckled and stretched his back, inhaling deeply the fresh morning air as he did so. "Well, I have," he said. "I just thought it'll be nice to look at the old city with a new set of eyes."

Kaden raised an eyebrow at Alister's cryptic response. The white-furred Lombax simply shrugged. "You know what I mean."

"Okayyy," said Kaden, his eyebrow still raised. "If you insist on being so mysterious, then I wouldn't press the issue any further. Anyway, since we're both free, what say we start the tour now?"

"Sounds good to me!"

"Well then, what say we begin at the- eh?"

Kaden's eyes darted down to his pocket. He quickly fished out a small rectangular device. Alister recognized it immediately. It was one of his friend's more recent inventions; a "pocket phone", he believed it was called.

"What's the matter?" Alister asked, hovering over to Kaden.

"Y'know, I'm not sure. I certainly wasn't expecting a call at this time of the day." Kaden took a quick peek at the display screen. And froze.

"Kaden, what happened?" Alister asked, visibly concerned.

Kaden's legs suddenly gave out from beneath him, and Alister had to lunge forward to grab him before he fell. The smaller Lombax was trembling slightly, widened eyes fixed intently on the message displayed on his phone. Alister tried to shake him back to reality, but the only response he received was silence.

The phone slipped out of Kaden's hand and landed on the ground with a loud clunk. Alister bent down to pick it up. He took a quick glimpse at its screen – and all the colour drained from his already-white face.

At that moment, something seemed to click in Kaden's mind, the message having finally sunk into his head. With a deafening whoop of elation, the Lombax leapt into the air, a huge grin plastered across his features.

"I'm going to be a father!" he yelled, drawing the attention of every Lombax in the square. Ignoring the stares he received, Kaden immediately clicked his hoverboots and shot off towards his ship. Suddenly, he stopped and turned to face Alister.

"C'mon, Alister!" he called. "Aren't you coming along?"

Alister didn't budge. He stayed rooted the spot, kicking unthinkingly at the ground and throwing small up showers of sand over his hoverboots. When he raised his head to meet Kaden's stare, there was an uneasy frown on his face.

"Er, sorry," he faltered. "I don't think I can make it. Last minute preparations for the attack and all, you now. Too busy."

"But you just said-"

"I know, I know. I said I was free. I only just remembered. Sorry about that."

It was a bad lie, and Alister could tell that Kaden had seen right through it. The Lombax's smile died on his lips. His eyebrows rose in disbelief for a second. Then he narrowed his eyes, clearly hurt. But not just hurt, Alister realised. The Lombax looked almost… _betrayed_.

"Kaden, I-"

"Why, Alister?" Kaden shouted, cutting Alister off mid-sentence. "We agreed about this! You're going to be the boy's godfather, for god's sake! And yet you're making up _stupid_ excuses to miss his birth! Why?!"

Kaden's words hit Alister like a sledgehammer. He faced the ground once more and brought a hand to his face, no longer able to meet his friend's piercing glare.

Godfather, Kaden had said. It was a word Alister had forgotten many years ago, and only now did he remember its significance again.

Amidst his struggle over the years to restore the race he so loved, Alister had let go of far too many of the memories that had made him love it in the first place. Like the day, for instance, when Kaden and his wife had approached him, smiles on their faces, telling him that they wanted him to be their unborn child's godfather. It'll be an honour, he had replied, and accepted on the spot. He remembered clearly that moment now, and the memory of it made him feel even worse.

He had been so happy to be Ratchet's godfather. And then, in a fit of rage, he had killed him. He had killed his own godson.

But maybe, Alister thought desperately, he could still set things right. After all, he was in entirely different timeline now – one where the boy wasn't dead. He could tell Kaden that he wasn't thinking straight; he could apologize, go with him to celebrate his son's birth. Then he could protect and cherish the boy for the rest of his life, just to make up for the horrible things he had done back in the Chamber. He could always redeem himself. It wasn't hard, simply tell Kaden that…

That…

He would go.

He looked up at Kaden. The Lombax was waiting, arms folded and brow furrowed, for an answer from him. Many times Alister had told himself how much Ratchet reminded him of his father. Now he realized something else. As he stood there, watching Kaden, he realized how much his best friend reminded him of his son. For a moment, Alister almost thought that it was Ratchet standing there, glowering accusingly at him. Not waiting for an apology, but simply there to remind him…

Alister realized, then and there, that he could not possibly go. He had murdered Ratchet back in the Chamber, back when the young Lombax had so desperately needed his help. He had deliberately hurt him; tortured him, even. Nothing he did could ever undo that fact.

He could not possibly bring himself to face Ratchet again, no matter the timeline, no matter the year. Not after what he had done.

"I'm so sorry, Kaden," he said, virtually forcing the words from his mouth. "I can't go. I can't tell you why, and I don't expect you to understand."

Kaden took the reply without flinching, but there was a look in his intense emerald eyes that Alister could almost feel boring through his skull. For a moment, the orange-furred Lombax seemed ready to say something, but the words died on his tongue and he sighed deeply, shaking his head in resignation.

"You are my best friend, Alister," he said sadly. "You have been for many years. We've had a lot of wonderful experiences together, and I was hoping I could share this one with you, too. Of course it hurts me to know you won't be there. But I hope you realize something. It's not me you should be apologizing to. It's my son – your godson. He deserves your apologies far more than I do."

Kaden spoke the lines not with anger, but with sadness, with an overwhelming sense of disappointment that made Alister feel even worse. Alister didn't respond. He could not. There was nothing for him to say.

Kaden sighed. "Just… just promise me that you will cherish this child as much as I will. Maybe you can't make that promise now, but please make it eventually. That's all I'm asking of you. As his godfather."

Alister desperately wanted to say something, to stop his best friend from leaving, but no words came to his mouth. Kaden sighed again, then hoverbooted away, with much less enthusiasm than before. Alister remained where he was, watching the Lombax hop into his ship and rev up the engines. He continued to stand there, long after the ship had vanished into the crowded airways.

Then he dropped himself to the ground, landing with a loud thud, paying no attention to the passers-by who pointed at him and muttered to one another. He didn't feel sad anymore, or even guilty. He just felt numb, like all the emotions had been wrung out of him by the recent confrontation. He didn't feel much of anything at all.

Alister did a silent recap of the past few minutes to himself. Within the space of a single conversation, he had alienated his best friend. He had run from his own godson's birth. Memories he had wanted to forget had been dredged up, and he had been forced, painfully, to confront them once more.

He could recall everything of that fateful moment, he realized. Every last detail. He recalled how overwhelmed with fury he had been, so much so that he'd never even have recognized himself. He recalled how a red haze had started to cloud his vision, how his lips had instinctively curled into a snarl, how he had leaned forward, like a tiger ready to kill. How _right_ his wrench had felt as it was charging, and how Ratchet had shuddered as the bolt had smashed him in the chest. How the young Lombax had gasped for air, stumbled a few steps before he finally went down.

How great it had felt, to have taken a life. To have killed. And not even an enemy. His own godson.

Unthinkingly, Alister buried his head in his knees and stared at the dirt beneath his feet. Soon, droplets began to roll off his cheeks, splattering silently on the dusty ground below.

* * *

**I can't say I really like how this Chapter turned out. Guess I need to learn how to write inner turmoil in a way that doesn't sound too awkward. But from the way I've planned the story, I should have a LOT of practice in some of the upcoming chapters. :P**

**So then, bye for now, and thanks for reading!**

**~misterhogtail**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi all! Sorry about the delay in the updates. Extra long chapter going up to compensate. :) Also, I've been making minor edits to some of the earlier chapters based on feedback, so I might upload those some time this week.**

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Chapter 7

"That sure was a lot to take in."

"Indeed it was."

"How much of it did you understand?"

"Enough, I suppose."

Ratchet yawned loudly and stretched his arms. He and Clank had just been released from Orvus's lecture, and the duo was now sitting on the main outer ring of the Great Clock.

Ratchet plonked himself on his back, legs dangling over the edge. From where they were, he could see nothing but the vast emptiness of space, framed splendidly by the Great Clock's rings. Interstellar clouds of galactic dust filled the large portions of the void, lit by the bluish glow emitted by the Clock's inner mechanisms. Distant stars twinkled like jewels through breaks in the clouds, gently illuminating the darkness that surrounded them. Platforms and discs of chrome and crystal floated in and out of view, glinting brightly as they circled and rotated the Clock. The outer wisps of the Breegus Nebula were just barely visible to Ratchet, appearing in the form of faint yet vivid veins of orange and pink that streaked the darkness of space.

It was a beautiful sight. Ratchet said so. "I can see why you'd like to live here, Clank," he then added. "I certainly won't mind waking up to this sight every morning."

Clank nodded. "That is true. However, Ratchet, I hope you realize there are far more compelling reasons for me to stay than just the scenery."

Ratchet sighed. For a while, the two sat in silence, taking in the stunning landscape that sprawled out before their eyes.

"Y'know," mused Ratchet, "all those stars we're looking at are actually twenty years behind us, and yet they don't look any different. We've shared so many adventures in those twenty years, but in the grand scheme of things, it's almost like they might as well not have happened at all."

"I agree. The Universe does have a way of making one feel rather insignificant."

Ratchet smiled. "Not totally insignificant, though. I think we've done enough butt-kicking and galaxy-saving together to qualify us as having made a difference."

Clank chuckled. Lately, he had found that reminders of his past adventures with Ratchet did an excellent job of cheering him up.

Ratchet couldn't help but smile at Clank characteristic laugh. Come to think of it, didn't Clank's dad laugh in exactly the same way?

A thought came to Ratchet's mind. "Say, Clank," he asked. "Did your dad tell you where he was going?"

Orvus had left soon after the lecture ended, taking time only to say his goodbyes to Ratchet and Clank and to promise Sigmund repeatedly that yes, we would be back eventually. Then he'd promptly disappeared into a portal that closed behind him, telling no one where he intended to go.

Clank shook his head. "No, he did not. I suppose he does not want us to follow him, but to instead focus on the tasks he has assigned us here in the Clock."

Just as he finished the sentence, the antenna on Clank's head flashed green. "What a coincidence!" exclaimed the robot. "Sigmund just messaged me saying that one of those tasks has popped up. Looks like we have a job to do, Ratchet."

Clank hopped to his feet and picked up the Chronoscepter, which had been lying on the ground beside him. Ratchet looked at the staff in awe. He hadn't really noticed how magnificently crafted it was before, but now that he did, he couldn't help but feel impressed by the ease and comfort with which Clank handled it – almost like it was nothing more than a simple wooden pole.

The robot noticed Ratchet's admiring gaze before the Lombax had time to turn away and whistle innocently. A smile came to his face.

"Impressive, is it not? I, too, was rather taken by its craftsmanship when I first set eyes on it."

"It is rather pretty, I suppose," said Ratchet, eyes averted from Clank's amused stare.

"_Just_ pretty?"

Ratchet threw his arms in the air in exasperation. "Oh, all right. It's beautiful. Stunning. A positively striking creation that I would be honoured to own. In fact, if someone asked me to spend the rest of my life in a gigantic Clock, I'm sure I'd ask them if I can get my very own Chronoscepter before writing the idea off completely. Happy now?"

Ratchet realized almost immediately that he'd said too much_. _Clank was glowering at him, a hurt expression in his eyes.

"C'mon, Clank," he said sheepishly. "It was just a joke. I'm sorry, okay?"

This time, it was Clank's turn to sigh in exasperation. "It was not in very good taste, Ratchet. I need you to realize that it is my future that is at the crossroads here. All I ask of you is to respect, not criticize, the route I choose to take."

The Lombax nodded half-heartedly, his shoulders drooping. Clank sighed again. Ratchet was going to keep trying to convince him to leave the Great Clock, and Clank knew there was nothing he could do to make his best friend give up.

After all, how could he explain his reasons to him? Ratchet didn't have a family. He didn't have traditions to uphold, or obligations to fulfill. He couldn't possibly understand why he had to stay.

"Let us not waste any more time, Ratchet," he said matter-of-factly. "We have a planet to save."

The Lombax nodded again, but didn't say anything.

***

If there was one thing about Ratchet, it was that he never remained depressed for long.

"Whoa," he gasped, marveling at the architecture around him. "Y'know, this is the first time I've ever been able to really look at the Great Clock up close. I used to think the ol' Starship Phoenix was the most impressive piece of machinery I'd ever see. Man, I sure was _way_ off."

"Well," said Clank, "the Great Clock does comprise 4.3 trillion moving parts. I suppose that is a rather impressive figure."

A small, gear-shaped disc zoomed across the floating walkway, right in front of where the duo was standing.

"What does that one do?" asked Ratchet.

"Like I said, Ratchet, there are 4.3 trillion moving parts in this Clock. You cannot possibly expect me to memorise them _all_. Ah, there is Sigmund!"

The robot is question was darting back and forth on a nearby platform, nervously clicking his fingers and fiddling around with the display on his attached screen. Nervous and jumpy, he didn't exactly look like the caretaker of what was arguably the most important creation in the history of the Universe.

"Sigmund!" called Clank. The robot jumped up in shock, his tool belt jangling noisily from the sudden movement.

"Ah, sirs! You startled me there!"

"You seem rather tense at the moment, Sigmund. Is something the matter?"

The red robot sighed, his large black eyebrows slanting downwards. "It's just… well, it's Master Orvus," he said sadly. "I was so glad to see him alive and well after disappearing for so long, and now he's gone again and I'm… I guess I'm worried something bad will happen to him like last time."

Clank nodded understandingly. Sigmund had known Orvus for a long time, and it was clear that he was much more distressed by the Zoni's sudden departure than Clank was.

"I do not think you should worry too much, Sigmund. After all, my father did promise you that he would return, and I trust he is a person who does not take his promises lightly."

Clank's simple statement proved sufficient to cheer Sigmund up. "I suppose you're right!" he piped up. "If Master Orvus promised he would return, I'm sure he will!"

Ratchet noisily cleared his throat. "Excuse me, you guys? We have a planet to save, don't we?"

"Oh! Right!" exclaimed Sigmund. "I can't believe I forgot about that! C'mon, the planet room is this way!"

The caretaker promptly darted off down the walkway. Ratchet and Clank followed closely behind him. For several minutes they navigated the maze of paths that crisscrossed the entirety of the Great Clock, waving at the occasional Zoni that floated past. Eventually the trio found themselves in a darkened chamber consisting of little more than a large, brass door and a computer screen mounted beside it. Sigmund swiftly positioned himself before the screen, fingers flying over its neon blue surface as he typed.

"Clank," whispered Ratchet. "What planet are we going to save now?"

Clank frowned. "I am not sure. I have never entered this Sector of the Clock before. I suppose we could check with Sigmund. Sigmund, may I ask what planet room we are heading to now?"

"Well, this Sector of the Clock contains the planet rooms of planets from the Solana galaxy," Sigmund said. "The planet in question is a small backwater planet at the edge of the galaxy. It's mostly covered in desert and not much to look at. But what's its name now? Valdon? Voldin? V-"

"Veldin," blurted Ratchet and Clank simultaneously. Sigmund turned in surprise. Clank was looking anxiously at Ratchet, whose face had turned white as a sheet.

"Exactly, sirs! Veldin! But how did you-"

At that instant, the door slid open. Ratchet immediately sprinted towards the opened doorway and almost collided with Sigmund, who had to jump aside to avoid the charging Lombax. He looked at Clank, puzzled. The smaller robot sighed loudly.

"The reason the two of us know, Sigmund," he explained, "is that we've spent a lot of time there in the past. In fact, Ratchet grew up on that planet. Veldin is the closest thing to a home that he has ever had."

Sigmund began to glow a beetroot red. "I shouldn't have called it a backwater planet, should I?" he asked timidly.

"No, I should not have," replied Clank. "But that is alright; you did not know. Anyway, we had better go check on Ratchet before he does something silly, or worse yet, dangerous."

***

When the robot duo caught up with Ratchet, the Lombax was already standing before the giant holographic projection of Veldin that filled the centre of the platform.

"What's wrong with Veldin, Clank?" he asked anxiously. "Everything looks okay to me."

"That is because the rifts have not started to materialize yet. But they will soon, and we had best be prepared for when they do."

Sigmund was standing to one side of the platform, rapidly installing a row of six, seven screens along the perimeter. "These screens," he called to Ratchet and Clank, "will let you see what's going on in Veldin when the rifts start. I've been busy installing them in all the planet rooms."

"Thank you, Sigmund."

"My pleasure, sir! Whatever I can do to help. I'll go get started on the other rooms now. Best of luck, sirs!" With that, the red robot exited the planet room.

Just as the door closed behind him, a low hum began to fill the room, seemingly emanating from the projection itself and echoing off the chamber's walls.

"That is odd," muttered Clank. "I do not recall hearing this sound before."

Ratchet looked at him anxiously. "It is probably just a slight hitch in the programming," Clank added hastily. "Nothing to be worried about."

"If you say so. Hey, I'm counting on you, buddy."

"I assure you, Ratchet, that I will do the best I can. Remember, this planet means as much to me as it does to you."

The Lombax nodded. Clank nodded back, then steadied his small metal frame and lifted the Chronoscepter off the ground. He aimed it directly at the projection, eyes squinted in focus. Ratchet stood beside him, his attention, like Clank, fixated solely on Veldin.

The hum began to grow in intensity. Suddenly, a small red flash of light blossomed on the projection, steadily travelling across the planet's surface. Clank shut his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them, a dazzling blue beam of light shot out from the Chronoscepter which traced the flash as it moved. The red light spluttered and faltered, and within seconds, it had disappeared, leaving behind only a dull blue glow.

Ratchet heaved a gigantic sigh of relief. "Well," he exclaimed. "That wasn't so bad!"

"Do not speak so soon, Ratchet. I doubt things will prove so simple-"

A sudden burst of energy swept the platform, knocking Clank off his feet. He leapt to his feet, and immediately dashed over to help Ratchet up. The Lombax seemed somewhat dazed by the impact, but otherwise seemed fine.

"What the heck was that?" asked Ratchet.

A single seed of worry took root in Clank's mind. If the fact that the time rift had actually generated a physical impact within the planet room was anything to go by, then this was not going to be an easy job. "I do not know," he admitted, frowning deeply. "But it cannot possibly be good."

Clank positioned himself once more at the head of the platform, eyes narrowed in focus. For a while, the projection of Veldin swirled around peacefully, almost like nothing had happened – or was going to happen.

Suddenly, another flash of red light popped up on the projection's surface. Just as Clank was about to aim the beam at it, another flash appeared. Clank swung the Chronoscepter's beam over to the new rift, but within seconds at least ten more had materialized. And they didn't stop coming. More and more red flares began raging across Veldin, appearing in rapid succession and with no end. Every single one flashed far more intensely, and brightly, than the last. Within seconds, the projection of Veldin was consumed in a raging bonfire of crimson explosions. Ratchet's eyes widened in horror.

Clank tried his best to retain his composure, but found it increasingly hard to do so. Steadying himself and trying not to panic, the robot healed the rifts one by one, tracing and extinguishing each red flare at a painfully slow pace. It was soon terrifying clear to him that he was fighting a losing battle. Every time he managed to close a rift, another two would appear to take its place.

Tearing his eyes from the struggling Clank, Ratchet bolted over the screens and looked in horror at the carnage unfolding on Veldin. One screen depicted an earthquake tearing into the Kyzil Plateau, sinking great chunks of land into the bubbling lava beneath the crust. Another showed tremendous rainclouds sweeping ominously over the desert plains, pouring sheets and sheets of water over the rapidly flooding villages below them. Yet another showed buildings and cliffs eroding into swirls of dust within a matter of seconds, and another showed citizens freezing in mid-stride just long enough to get swept into the air by gigantic hurricanes that ravaged the streets. The images were surreal, almost like someone was controlling the destruction with a remote and couldn't decide whether to fast forward, slow down or rewind.

Ratchet turned frantically to Clank, intending to push him on, or tell him to go faster. But one look at the little robot told him that Clank was already trying as hard as he could. Shouting or panicking wasn't going to help the situation, though it seemed it was all he could do.

The Lombax let a small whimper of despair, then turned back to the screens. The time rifts were intense and unrelenting in their destruction of Veldin; waves of blue washed intermittently across all the screens, leaving chaos in their wake.

A fiery explosion filled the screen with smoke. Ratchet gripped the edge of the nearest screen till his knuckles turned white, willing the ash to clear. By the time it did, a large chunk of Veldin had physically vanished, leaving behind a giant lake of bubbling, molten lava. Geysers of flame erupted from the wound that now marked the planet's crust.

"Ratchet!" shouted Clank. Ratchet turned hesitantly, expecting a horrifying sight to meet his eyes. He wasn't disappointed. A giant portion of Veldin had disappeared from the projection, like some huge interstellar behemoth had taken a bite from the planet.

Worse than the sight of the Veldin's death was the sound coming from the screens; a horrifying crescendo of screams, punctuating by sudden moments of silence as the fleeing citizens disappeared with then ground they were on. Deafening explosions filled the room as long-dormant volcanoes erupted and the earth cracked open, swallowing up entire cities at a time. Ratchet raised his hands to cover his ears, praying desperately for the noise to end.

The final act of devastation was quick and somewhat anticlimactic. One by one, chunks of the planet, straining under the sheer volume of the red flashes, blinked out of existence, until nothing but a sphere of ranging, spluttering lava was left. Then, in another blink, the entire projection vanished. The lights in the planet room flickered out, and the loud rumble that had filled Ratchet's ears stopped. There was nothing left but darkness, and the overpowering stillness that came after the passing of a storm.

For a while, neither Ratchet nor Clank moved. Stunned speechless by the horror they had just witnessed, the duo stood and stared at the centre of the platform, which the projection of Veldin had so majestically occupied just minutes ago.

Ratchet was the first to move. His shoulders dropped, and a peculiar look came to his face; a look that was contained not only sadness, but also a tremendous sense of world-weariness, and bitterness as well.

Only after seeing Ratchet's reaction in the tragedy finally begin to set in for Clank. He looked sadly at the dejected Lombax, then at the platform's centre, then back at the Lombax again. Finally he dropped the Chronoscepter and paced over to his friend.

He couldn't help but feel he had to apologise. He had done all he could to stop Veldin's destruction, and he hoped Ratchet would not blame him for it. But that didn't change the fact that he had failed his best friend. Ratchet had trusted him to save Veldin, and he had failed. Clank had never felt more wretched in his life.

But even so, what could he say? Veldin had been the one place in the Universe that Ratchet had stayed on long enough to plant his roots; not just physically, but emotionally. It was the one planet that Ratchet could, and had, called home. And now it was gone, torn apart before his very eyes.

Clank stood next to Ratchet and looked up sorrowfully. The Lombax's gaze didn't shift. Only when the robot said his name did Ratchet turn slowly to face him, and Clank could almost see the waves of despair and pain that swirled and churned beneath his friend's emerald eyes.

Clank knew he could not possibly begin to fathom what Ratchet was going through. He could not possibly hope to console him; not after what had just happened. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to try.

"Ratchet, I-" Clank started.

Ratchet didn't wait for him to finish. Wordlessly, he turned and ran towards the doorway, leaving Clank alone on the platform. The robot sighed, took a final look at the empty space where Veldin had been, then ran after the Lombax, the door to the planet room sliding shut behind him.

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**Nothing much to say here, 'cept that the next few chapters should be up on time. Bye, then!**

**~misterhogtail**


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